Claims
- 1. A method for establishing the depth of a puncture wound in the wall of a blood vessel of a patient using a device having a distal tip, the process comprising:
a) introducing the distal tip of the device through a patient's subcutaneous tissue and experiencing resistance to advancement of the device; b) advancing the device toward the puncture wound in the wall of the blood vessel until the distal tip of the device encounters the outer wall of the vessel; c) tentatively determining that distal tip of the device has encountered the outer wall of the vessel by experiencing additional resistance to further advancement of the device; and, d) confirming that that distal tip of the device has encountered the outer wall of the vessel adjacent to the puncture wound by observing that by manipulating the distal tip of the device bleed back can be controlled.
- 2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of manipulating the distal tip of the device includes applying pressure to the outer wall of the vessel and the puncture wound with the distal tip of the device to control bleed back.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the device ahs a lumen and bleed back occurs when blood travels from the puncture wound and through the lumen.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the device ahs no lumen and bleed back occurs when blood travels from the puncture wound and around the device.
- 5. A method of positioning a pledget adjacent to the external wall of a blood vessel puncture in a patient, comprising the steps of:
a) advancing a tract dilator through the subcutaneous tissue of the patient to determine the depth of the puncture site; b) advancing an introducer to a location so that its distal tip is adjacent to the puncture site wherein the location is determined at least in part based on the depth of the puncture site as determined using the tract dilator, the introducer including a delivery chamber and a pledget in the delivery chamber; and, c) ejecting the pledget from the introducer.
- 6. A method of controlling blood flow from a puncture wound in a blood vessel using an elongated device having a distal tip, the steps comprising:
a) inserting the elongated device through a puncture in the subcutaneous tissue until the distal tip of the device is adjacent the puncture wound in the blood vessel; b) manipulating the distal tip so that at least a portion of the distal tip occupies at least a portion of the puncture wound to thereby restrict the flow of blood through the puncture wound.
- 7. A method of controlling blood flow from a puncture wound in a blood vessel using a device comprising an elongated member having a distal tip, a lumen and a wire, the steps comprising:
a) inserting the wire through a puncture in the subcutaneous tissue of the patient and through the puncture wound into the blood vessel; b) inserting the wire through the lumen of the device; and, c) inserting the elongated member through the puncture in the subcutaneous tissue and advancing the elongated member along the wire until the distal tip of the device is adjacent the puncture wound so that at least a portion of the distal tip occupies at least a portion of the puncture wound to thereby restrict the flow of blood through the puncture wound.
- 8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of manipulating the wire so that it distorts a portion of the blood vessel.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wire is manipulated to create a tenting of the blood vessel.
- 10. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of a) manipulating the wire so that it creates tenting of the blood vessel adjacent the puncture wound and b) manipulating the distal tip of the elongated member so that it occupies at least a portion of the puncture wound adjacent the tented portion of the blood vessel.
- 11. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of manipulating the wire so that it distorts the puncture wound in order that the distal tip can occupy a portion of the puncture site while the lumen is not in fluid flow communication with a substantial portion of the puncture site.
- 12. A method of controlling blood flow from a puncture wound in a blood vessel using a device comprising an elongated member having a distal tip, a lumen, and a wire, and the lumen has a diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the wire, the steps comprising:
a) inserting the wire through a puncture in the subcutaneous tissue of the patient and through the puncture wound into the blood vessel; b) inserting the wire through the lumen of the device; c) inserting the elongated member through the puncture in the subcutaneous tissue and advancing the elongated member along the wire until the distal tip of the elongated member is adjacent the puncture wound; d) manipulating the distal tip so that the wire distorts the puncture wound and the wire is located at the edge of the lumen so that at least a portion of the distal tip occupies at least a portion of the puncture wound to thereby restrict the flow of blood through the puncture wound while also restricting the flow of blood from the puncture site into the distal end of the lumen.
- 13. A method of measuring the depoth of a puncture wound in a blood vessel below the surface of the skin using a wire and a device comprising an elongated member having a distal tip, a depth marker, and a lumen, the steps comprising:
a) inserting the wire through a puncture in the subcutaneous tissue of the patient and through the puncture wound into the blood vessel; b) inserting the wire through the lumen of the device; c) inserting the elongated member through the puncture in the subcutaneous tissue and advancing the elongated member along the wire until the distal tip of the device is adjacent the puncture wound so that at least a portion of the distal tip occupies at least a portion of the puncture wound to thereby restrict the flow of blood through the puncture wound; and, d) moving the depth marker to the surface of the skin.
- 14. A device for controlling blood flow from a puncture wound in a blood vessel comprising:
a) a wire for distorting a portion of the blood vessel; and b) an elongated member having a distal tip for at least partially obstructing the puncture wound in the blood vessel and a lumen through which the wire extends.
- 15. The device of claim 14 wherein said wire is for creating a tenting of the blood vessel.
- 16. The device of claim 14 wherein the diameter of said guide wire is about 0.025 inch.
- 17. The device of claim 14 wherein the diameter of said lumen is between about 0.040 and 0.090 inch
- 18. The device of claim 14 wherein the diameter of said lumen is substantially larger than the diameter of said wire.
- 19. The device of claim 14 wherein the diameter of said lumen is about 0.060 inch and the diameter of said wire is about 0.025 inch.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present patent application is related to, claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to, and incorporates by reference herein in their entirety: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/613,439 filed Jul. 11, 2000, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/071,284, filed May 1, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,192.